Matzoh Ball Pho is an insanely rich and flavorful fusion dish that is a whole meal in a single bowl. The fragrant toasted spices and rich beef stock are combined with smooth, luscious matzoh balls for the perfect warm welcoming Vietnamese and Jewish fusion soup. The brisket used to make the stock is finished with a hoisin sauce glaze for a wonderful main dish for your Shabbat, Holiday or Purim Seudah Meal.
Matzoh Ball Pho
I love when a single dish makes a whole meal. The fusion Matzoh Ball Pho is the perfect example, with a rich aromatic broth, rice noodles, matzoh balls, thinly sliced roast beef and a whole brisket. If you’re planning your Purim Seudah (meal) this is a wonderful solution.
Developing Matzoh Ball Pho
The idea for Matzoh Ball Pho was another AI concept. The truth is I had never even heard of Pho (pronounced PHUH), but when I found it on Google I was immediately intrigued. Pho is a classic Vietmamese soup with a lot of super fragrant ingredients including fresh ginger and spices like star anise, whole cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and coriander.
Check out all the fragrant whole spices in this stock!
The made-from-scratch beef broth is warm and welcoming, made with two kinds of beef bones and a whole brisket. After making the stock I doused the cooked brisket in hoisin sauce glaze and it was insanely delicious.
Vietnamese Pho Brisket with Hoisin Sauce. The hoisin sauce gives a ton of flavor as the perfect brisket glaze for the spice infused brisket.
I used the Famous Sharon Matten Matzoh Ball recipe and the creaminess of the matzoh balls really complimented the seasoned broth.
Making the Vietnamese Pho
Considering that I had never even heard of Pho before the AI recommendation I had to do some searching for an authentic recipe. I found one by Recipetineats.com called Vietnamese Pho recipe. I liked this one because the stock was made from scratch incorporating all the incredible flavors of the beef and spices.
Preparing the Pho Stock
While the beef stock takes a lot of time to simmer, the result is amazing. You basically take a bunch of beef bones and a whole brisket, cook them for a brief time to remove a significant amount of fat, then recook for a long time to infuse the broth with essence of the aromatic spices.
Neck bones, marrow bones and a brisket are simmered together to create a rich beef stock.
I made the stock a day in advance, removed the bones and the brisket, and refrigerated it overnight. I was able to remove a thick layer of fat from the top of the gelatinous stock leaving a clear, rich broth as the base of the Pho.
How to make the stock from RecipeTinEats: Vietnamese Pho Recipe
The insanely aromatic spices in Vietnamese Pho
There are some insanely aromatic spices in Vietnamese Pho and I had to do a little shopping for them. If you plan on making this dish I strongly recommend springing for them. The result is worth it.Additionally, as part of the recipe the spices are toasted in a dry skillet to bring out their intense flavors. Simply fantastic.
Toasting Vietnamese Pho Spices really brings out their intense flavors.
Here are the spices that you need:
- Star Anise
- Whole Cardamom – I used black although it doesn’t specify. The black is better suited to braised meats and savory recipes according to The Spice House.
- Cinnamon Quills – These are cinnamon sticks and I usedwhole ones
- Cloves – like we use for havdalah!
- Coriander Seeds – Did you know that coriander is the dried seeds of a cilantro plant. Now you do!
- Fresh Ginger
- Thai Basil
- Chilis
The rest of the ingredients in Pho
I ended up getting most of the ingredients in a single shopping trip to Sarah’s Tent in Skokie. I was able to get all the beef bones, the brisket the hoisin sauce and the vegetarian fish sauce as well**. I did end up getting the most excellent thinly sliced roast beef at Romanian Kosher because it’s the best ever.
Some of the Vietnamese Pho ingredients.
Making the Brisket with Hoisin Sauce
After pulling the brisket from the Pho stock I had to figure out what to do with it.
Brisket from Vietnamese Pho has all the flavors of the Pho spices but still needed a sauce/glaze.
The problem was, that while the brisket had the aromatics of the Pho spices, it still needed something. I didn’t want to just dump any old sauce on it and call it a day, I wanted to use a sauce that would enhance the flavors infused into the beef. I decided to glaze the brisket with the remainder of the hoisin sauce and bake it until the sauce thickened over the beef. It was incredible. The meat was buttery soft with fabulous flavors.
What’s great about the Matzoh Ball Pho is that you basically get a whole meal from one recipe. The brisket is the perfect addition to any Shabbat, Holiday meal and especially your Purim Seudah!
Here’s the Recipe for Matzoh Ball Pho
While you can most certainly find a less time consuming recipe for Vietnamese Pho online, I strongly recommend using the one from Recipetineats.com called Vietnamese Pho recipe. It’s super authentic and the resulting Pho is incredible. I used my famous Sharon Matten’s Matzoh Ball recipe. You can find that recipe and the story behind it in my Meatball Matzoh Ball Recipe. For this one I used the Manishewitz Gluten Free Matzoh Ball mix (now you know my secret) but most of the gluten free matzoh ball mixes that are out there are equally good.One thing to consider when looking at the nutritional information is that you are not actually consuming the bones and by refrigerating the stock you remove a significant amount of the fat and calories. The nutritional information also includes the brisket.
Matzoh Ball Pho
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4.5 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
- Diet: Kosher
Description
Pho with Matzoh Balls is an insanely rich and flavorful fusion dish that is a whole meal in a single bowl. The fragrant whole toasted spices and rich beef stock are combined with smooth, luscious matzoh balls for the perfect warm welcoming Vietnamese and Jewish soup. The brisket used to make the stock is finished with a hoisin sauce glaze for the perfect main dish for your Shabbat, Holiday or Purim Seudah Meal.
The recipe for the Vietnamese Pho comes from RecipeTinEats. The only change I made was substituting the whole onion for green onion. My dear Vietnamese Manicurist said that was fine and didn’t change the authenticity at all.
Ingredients
For the Vietnamese Pho (taken from Vietnamese Pho RecipeTinEats)
Aromatics
- 1 1/2 large bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 5 ounces fresh ginger, sliced down the center
Spices
- 10 star anise
- 4 cinnamon quills
- 4 (black) cardamom pods
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
Beef
- 3 pounds beef brisket (I used second cut)
- 2 pounds meaty beef bones
- 2 pounds marrow bones, cut to reveal marrow
- 15 cups water
Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce (see note)
Noodle Soup
- 10–12 ounces dried rice sticks
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced roast beef
Toppings
- Beansprouts, handful
- Thai basil, 3-5 sprigs
- cilantro, 3-5 sprigs
- lime wedges (optional)
- finely sliced red chili or crushed red pepper
- Hoisin sauce
- Sriracha sauce (optional)
For the Matzoh Balls
- 1 package gluten free matzoh ball mix
- additional ingredients required to prepare the mix
To Finish the Cooked Brisket
- Hoisin Sauce
Instructions
For the Vietnamese Pho (taken from Vietnamese Pho RecipeTinEats)
Aromatics & Spices
-
Heat a heavy based skillet over high heat (no oil) until smoking.
-
Place onion and ginger in pan cut side down. Cook for a few minutes until it’s charred, then turn. Remove and set aside.
-
Toast Spices lightly in a dry skillet over medium high heat for 3 minutes.
Remove the beef impurities
-
Rinse bones & brisket then cover with water in large stock pot.
-
Boil for 5 minutes, then drain.
-
Rinse each bone and brisket under tap water.
For the Broth
-
Wipe pot clean, bring 15 cups of water to boil.
-
Add bones and brisket, onion, ginger, toasted spicessugar and salt. Water should just barely cover everything.
-
Cover with lid, simmer 3 hours.
-
Remove brisket (should be fall-apart tender), cool then refrigerate for later.
-
Simmer remaining soup UNCOVERED for 40 minutes.
-
Strain broth into another pot, discard bones and spices. Should be about 2.5 litres / 2.65 quarts (10 cups), if loads more, reduce.
-
Add fish sauce, adjust salt and sugar if needed. Broth should be beefy, fragrant with spices, savoury and barely sweet.
- (Optional) Refrigerate the broth, covered, overnight. Discard the layer of fat on top of the broth, then simmer until hot.
For the Matzoh Balls
- Prepare matzoh balls according to package directions.
- Set aside.
To Finish the Matzoh Ball Pho
-
Prepare rice noodles per packet, just prior to serving.
-
Place noodles in bowl. Top with roast beef.
-
Ladle over about 14 oz hot broth. Add bean sprouts and matzoh balls. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and drizzle hoisin sauce over the top.
-
Serve with the rest of the toppings on the side.
For the Hoisin Sauce Brisket
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a large casserole dish then place the brisket inside the pan.
- Pour hoisin sauce to completely cover the brisket. Bake for 30 minutes until the glaze has thickened.
- Allow the brisket to rest for at least 10 minutes then slice.
- Serve with pan juices.
Equipment
![Image of Best Of Thailand Vegetarian Fish Sauce | [Improved NO MSG] Real Authentic Asian Brewed Vegan Sauces for Dressings & Cooking | Certified Kosher & Fat-Free | 2 Pack - Each 23.65 Fl Oz](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ip59HOTGL._SL500_.jpg)
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Jasmine Gourmet Hoisin Sauce – Check your local stores
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Manischewitz Family Size Original Matzo Ball Mix 13oz (2 Pack) in Resealable Container
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Manischewitz Gluten Free Matzo Ball Mix
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Streit’s Gluten Free Matzoh Ball Mix, 4.5 Ounce
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Buy Now → Notes
I peeled and sliced the ginger rather than having a large chunk.
One thing to consider when looking at the nutritional information is that you are not actually consuming the bones and by refrigerating the stock you remove a significant amount of the fat and calories. The nutritional information also includes the brisket.
You can use another Pho recipe if you like, however I strongly recommend this one. Not only is it simply outstanding, you also get a whole brisket to serve your friends and family.
You can make this recipe for Passover if your family eats Kitniyot.
You probably could make the Pho stock in an electric pressure cooker. I haven’t tried it, but if you do please let me know how it turns out.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 519
- Sugar: 9.5 g
- Sodium: 4585.3 mg
- Fat: 31.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.3 g
- Fiber: 4.4 g
- Protein: 35.8 g
- Cholesterol: 112.1 mg
Bonus Matozh Ball Pho Stories:
Story #1
I treat myself to a no-chip manicure every 3-4 weeks at the Venetzia Nail Salon in Glenview. Be, my manicurist, chats with me while doing my most excellent manicure (as seen on Kosher Everyday reels). It turns out the Be happens to be Vietnamese and was super excited when I told her about my Matzoh Ball Pho recipe. When I explained how I was preparing it she confirmed that I was making an authentic Pho (she made sure I pronounced it Phuh), with the additional bean sprouts and hoisin sauce. I felt extremely validated and I made Be’s day.
Story #2
Way way back many centuries ago when I was in graduate school in NY, I used to host Shabbat meals. Even back then I loved to have people to share my Shabbat meals with. I called my mother (z”l) and asked her to ship a tempered glass serving set to me from Marshall Fields. She was kind enough to order it, and when it arrived, in addition to the serving set, there was a huge 8 quart T-Fal stock pot with a venting lid. It was really nice. I called my Mom to thank her and she had no idea what I was talking about. Evidently the store had accidentally put the pot in my order. When we called to ask them about it, they said to just keep the pot! I still have that pot and use it when I need to cook something that’s a little larger, like a brisket, because the pot is wider than my other meat pots. I used that pot for this recipe.** Some people consider eating fish and meat together to be inadvisable according to the rules of Kashrut. Ask your Local Orthodox Rabbi.
Here’s how I did it on Instagram @koshereveryday!!
View this post on Instagram
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